Connect with Your Family with these Useful Genealogy Gifts
Are you still looking for ways to share your family history with your family? The holidays are coming up or a birthday and you want to get them something that’s a little more personal this year? Then let me share some family history gifts that my family loves. I’ve had the desire to share more family history with my non-family history family for a long time. I have found a few fun things that have helped all of us connect a little more.
Connect through Family History Games
When I was at RootsTech in 2019, I ran into a family owned business selling games. Their business was called The Connections Games. They made board games and card games specifically for family history. They came up with the ideas for each game from scratch and created the product from that idea. Brilliant! So I bought a board game called “Roots and Branches.”
In this game they have five categories of questions with a total of 50 cards. The categories are Nice to Know, About You, Your Ancestors, and Your Family. You have a board game with pieces, dice, and different colored spots. As you move around the board, the spots will tell you which card category to use. Then you answer the question on that card. I love this game because it not only has you learning about your ancestors, but you are learning about each other as well. My husband and I are telling our daughter things from out past that we have forgotten.
Questions such as, “What is the worst thing you’ve ever eaten? or What was your most embarrassing moment? inspire family stories. One of us will want to know the story behind the answer and we just start talking. We make it even more fun by placing candies on the game board and my daughter tries to land on those spots to get the candy!
This game is awesome right now because it’s the right age for my daughter. It doesn’t focus only on the ancestors so everyone can answer something. We don’t have to use the board game part and use just the question cards if we’re in the mood. And we can also customize the rules to fit any social gathering. It’s great for the holidays!
If you have older children or if your family is super into genealogy, then I would recommend the TableTopics from Ancestry.com. I was given a set of these question cards at RootsTech so I don’t know if they’re available to buy. But they’re a great way to start dinner conversations. We’re waiting to use this game until my daughter is a little older just because the questions are a little more in depth.
Connect through Customizable Family Charts
This was another gift idea that I got from RootsTech in 2018. Family Chart Masters was doing a special RootsTech discount on their family tree charts that could be used through the whole next year. I picked out the decorative chart that I wanted, then loaded my family tree from FamilySearch to their website. They then transferred the information onto my chart. They shipped it to me and I have a beautiful circle fan chart in my home. There’s a few more steps involve then what I listed, but you get the idea. They also have staff that can help you with each step in the process.
These charts would also be great if you have a family reunion. The company has what’s called “working charts” where they print just the data without any decorations onto a chart. The point is that your family can fill in the missing pieces on the chart. It’s supposed to be written on and not decoratively displayed. That way after the whole family helps complete it, then you can do a decorative family chart if you choose.
You can purchase gift certificates for others as well. They have other options on their website such as genealogy coaches, DNA charts, Zap the Grandma Gap, etc. So you can customize what you want from them depending on where you’re at with your genealogy.
Conclusion
Of course there’s more gift ideas out there then I’ve shared. My goal for this post was to share what has worked for us! Trust me, I’ve tried many things over the years to help my family connect. These ideas are just my recent attempts. In my experience, doing the small things to connect the family is the best. When my daughter was younger, it was helping her connect with her current family. Now that she’s older, I have started to help her connect with her ancestors. It’s all a work in progress. So don’t give up!
In the meantime…good luck and happy hunting!
Tiffany
P.S. There’s still time to schedule a session with me before Christmas hits this year. So contact me by December 1st so that I’ll have time to research your family tree before Christmas.
P.P.S. Check out these other blog posts for more gift ideas.
charts, family history games, familychartmasters, games, genealogy gifts, gift ideas, gifts, RootsTech